May 17, 2016 - An Evening With… So Cal Music Scene Legends NEWSLETTER A n E n t e r t a i n m e n t I n d u s t r y O r g a n i z a t i on This month, board members share favorite LA music moments The President’s Corner From Renee Jeske… Wow! I can’t believe it’s the end of the 2015-2016 season already! It’s been an exci>ng year and I hope we did our job to keep everyone educated and “My introduction to the Los Angeles music scene was the very first time informed on the latest in the world of music copyright and our fickle business. I ever visited Los Angeles, back in August of 2006. I planned a road trip We’ll be announcing the elec>on results tonight that will determine our from the Bay area with my sister around going to see the bands officers and board for the 2016-2017 season. You will be in good hands next Wideawake and Zac Brown Band play at a place on Melrose called The year and more great panels and copyright updates will be coming your way. I Gig. We had such a blast that making road trips to L.A. to see music want to say a special thank you to the CCC board, past presidents and staff. I’m became one of my favorite pastimes, and eventually contributed to my honored to have had such amazing and passionate people behind the decision to move Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music industry.” organiza>on this last year. I could not have done this without your hard work, support, advice and guidance. I’ve been a music fan as long as I can remember from my first concert (Shawn From James Leach… Cassidy at the Greek), to working at record stores in Orange County as a teenager to today where I get to work with people whose music I was “My ‘Go To’ music spot was always The Roxy on Sunset Blvd. This is influenced by, admire and s>ll listen to today. My teenage self would never where I would catch George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Roy have believed I’m on a panel with the people speaking tonight! Thank you to Ayers, The Brothers Johnson, Rick James and of course PRINCE!!! The Jonathan Rosner, Marrsha Sill, Charley Londoño and Ronny Schiff who assisted Roxy was host for Prince’s first Los Angeles show performing ‘Soft and with our stellar line up. Wet,’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ and many other songs from his first two albums. As his popularity grew, the Roxy could no longer accommodate We will be awarding our annual John Braheny Scholarship to a very deserving the fans and, of course, he moved on to larger venues like The Forum. music business student. Look out for good things to come from this young However, that didn’t stop Sheila E., Vanity 6, The Time, The Family and lady! anything Prince related from following in his footsteps and blessing that Roxy stage and my memory with their amazing performances!” Lastly, thanks to all our guest speakers, members and a[endees for suppor>ng the CCC this year. It means a lot to us that we can con>nue our educa>onal efforts and scholarship program. Without you this wouldn’t happen. From Charley Londoño... Thanks again for the amazing year! ”During 1997 I was working in the radio promotion department of A&M Diane Snyder-Ramirez Records, where I did national Alternative and AAA formats. I was on the President, California Copyright Conference phone with a program director from Oklahoma, Paul Kriegler, when out of the blue, Elton John walked into my office. I remember telling Paul I had to cut our call short abruptly as Elton John walked into my office. Paul said ‘REALLY?’ and I said, ‘Really, gotta jump, I’ll call you later.’ I got up from my desk to greet Elton John, shake his hand and introduce myself, and he says: ‘Hello, I’m Elton John.’ I remember laughing nervously and saying: ‘That goes without saying.’ He thought my remark humorous and laughed. A good sign. He was on the A&M lot visiting people because he was relaunching Rocket Records via Polydor, which A&M distributed. He asked what I did at A&M Records. What I thought was mind-blowing was that he was able to discuss all the latest alternative bands that were relevant and getting airplay at the time. I always heard that he had a love for all types of music and would buy tons of records at Tower Records on Sunset. I found his fluidity with current music astonishing. !1 While we were speaking, music was blaring out of one of the offices in the promotion department. Elton asked: “Who is that?” I said: “that’s the new Amy Grant record.” He said: “I’m like Amy Grant.” I was taken aback because here was a superstar who not only was personable but understood where he stood from a commercial standpoint, meaning, he knew, at that point of his career, he was more of an Adult Contemporary artist rather than the Top 40 acts that were currently getting played at radio. To find a superstar like Elton John, who is legendary, knowledgeable about all types of music, and knew his commercial relevance in the pop music industry, I found so amazing and increased my respect of him, not only as an artist, but, as a knowledgeable business man with no hubris. And, for Elton John to be that affable and kind, well…what can you say? What a marvelous man and artist. I’ll never forget that moment.” From Jean Montiel… “During her most prolific years I never got to see her live, but then one night a few years ago, Bonnie Raitt came to the Greek Theatre (one of the best places in L.A. to see a show!). Tickets were purchased last minute and, by some miracle, the seats were really good. From the minute her set began until the very last note, the atmosphere in the venue was nothing short of magic. I don’t use the term loosely. A consummate professional in every sense, Bonnie takes you on her journey. By the end you are transformed…A suspension of time, when the whole place comes together for an unforgettable night of musical joy.” From Michael Morris… “Way back in 1979, you didn’t just go to L.A.’s Chinatown for the food. You went to immerse yourself in music—most of it punk of one variety or another. There was a burgeoning music scene dominated by two competing venues: One was Madame Wong’s, whose owner was notoriously known as “The Dragon Lady,” and where The Police, among many bands, had played. The other was the Hong Kong Café, operated by former Polygram A&R man and record producer, Barry Seidel. When Madame Wong’s ran block ads with the names of the actual bands that played there, Barry Seidel infamously parodied those ads by listing names like Liberace and Frank Sinatra in the border of his Hong Kong Café’s ads in the L.A. Weekly. Pretty damn funny, even if the Dragon Lady wasn’t laughing." “I had met Barry when both of us were living in Tucson (Barry was close with guitar god Link Wray, who lived in Tucson for a spell). Coincidentally, we both ended up in L.A., and Barry began booking many cutting-edge bands at the Hong Kong Café, including The Bangs (before becoming The Bangles). He also booked the legendary Arthur Lee and Love! So one night, I wandered into a packed house at The Hong Kong Café, where an all-female band was raising hell, including an incendiary cover of the 1960’s classic “Cool Jerk.” One of the band members was even swinging from the rafters. This band later caught the attention of my friend John Guarnieri, who signed them to I.R.S. Records. And the Go-Go’s went on to become the most successful all-female rock band ever.” From Ronny Schiff… “It’s January 1969; someone in my Transcendental Meditation class said, “You’ve gotta hear this new singer/songwriter, Joni Mitchell.” I had already heard Judy Collins’s version of “Both Sides Now,” so I was intrigued. Joni had moved to L.A. recently, as had her manager, Elliot Roberts, who didn’t have an office yet, but 411 supplied his home number. I made an appointment with Elliot to talk about producing her songbooks, and went up to Joni’s house in Laurel Canyon. The living room had a baby grand and a couch, upon which sat Joni, Laura Nyro, Judy Collins, and, I believe, Bones Howe—a breathtaking group of talent. I negotiated a print deal with Elliot, and produced Joni’s songbooks for several years afterward (for which Joni provided her own art).” At Disc Marketing, we produced the audio programming for United Airlines and Air Force 1 & 2 from 1998 to 2007. We interviewed many artists, especially on our Salute to Songwriter channel for which Dan Kimpel and John Braheny were the main interviewers. “The most memorable interview we did was with Leonard Cohen. I insisted that our entire staff crowd into the booth to hear him. What we heard was the most insightful, fascinating, complex discourse on his music philosophy (very Zen), his life and loves.